


Preparing for a Happy Holiday

by Glue_the_Grue



Category: MS Paint Adventures, Problem Sleuth (Webcomic)
Genre: Christmas fic, M/M, Mindless Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-04
Updated: 2012-12-04
Packaged: 2017-11-20 06:10:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/582146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glue_the_Grue/pseuds/Glue_the_Grue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inspector and Sleuth put up Christmas decorations.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Preparing for a Happy Holiday

Sleuth had woken up at 10, which he would say is a very early time to wake up on a day off, but he had anticipated he’d need some time to get ready before Inspector woke up and trapped him in a whirlwind of holiday preparations. Sleuth knew Pickle was excited for the holidays, but he hadn’t quite accounted for how excited Pickle actually was. The fact that Pickle was out of bed before noon on a saturday was his first big tip-off.

As soon as Sleuth realized he was the second person to wake up, he started to understand just what Inspector meant when he said he was “really, really looking forward to getting the apartment ready.” He took his time showering, keeping an ear out just in case Pickle dropped something or called for help. He managed to get through brushing his teeth before he heard a loud thump coming from the main room.He figured he was as ready as he could be, and he quickly walked out to see what had happened.

Sleuth was greeted with the sight of Pickle trapped under the old, plastic Christmas tree as tall as he was. It takes Sleuth a moment for his brain to process the scene, and he’s laughing when he finally helps Pickle and the tree stand upright again. Sleuth mentally congratulates himself again for snagging such a good apartment with Pickle; the higher ceiling and bigger front room meant the tree barely brushed against anything, unlike previous years where he couldn’t even attach the top section (though the only time people other than him saw it was when he held those small Christmas parties, where people usually got too drunk to care after a while).

“My hero!” Pickle says, laughing and kissing Sleuth’s forehead after they’ve gotten the tree straightened out. Sleuth just returns the gesture with a kiss to Pickle’s chin before heading to the kitchen, stomach rumbling. He starts to ask Pickle if he’s eaten yet, but stops in his tracks when he sees the state of the kitchen.

Flour and sugar and a myriad of cooking supplies are strewn about the counters, tea and coffee sequestered safely on the table with two places set. He can see something cooking in the oven, and he goes over to smell it after shooting a surprised smile at Pickle. Sleuth cracks the oven open and is immediately met with a burst of warm, cookie-scented air. Pickle comes over and looks too, both of them standing there for a moment and just enjoying the aroma.

“Sleuth, I think they’re ready now. Would you like to take them out?”

“Sounds good to me! Honestly Pickle, if this is your idea of breakfast I wonder why you don’t get up early more often!” Sleuth laughs and pulls the tray of cookies out carefully, the mitts making him a bit clumsy with his hands.

“Well, a special occasion calls for special measures! Though perhaps you could bribe me to get up more often now that you know what it takes…”

Sleuth give Pickle a soft nudge with his elbow. “I’m sure I know something else that I could bribe you with, if you know what I mean-”

“Oh I know what you mean and its definitely on the list AFTER cookies for breakfast.”

“Wow should I be offended by that?” Sleuth laughs and starts transferring the cookies from the sheet to a plate, hissing now and then because he didn’t wait for the cookies to cool off first. Pickle just shakes his head and grabs the spatula from the mess on the counter, nudging Sleuth to the side and finishing the transferral without any burnt fingers. Sleuth just watches Pickle like an excited child, following him to the table, continually leaning close to smell the cookies before being shooed away. Sleuth finally sits down and starts to pour himself a coffee when Pickle collects all the cookie decorating materials and puts them on the table.

“I don’t know about you, but it’s been awhile since I decorated cookies. We didn’t even have any decorations to use when I looked last week! So I bought these.” Pickle shows Sleuth the small containers filled with brightly colored sugar toppings and a tin of icing, small price stickers still stuck on some of them. Sleuth thinks back, realizing he hasn’t decorated cookies since he was a kid living with his parents.

“Yeah, a while doesn’t even begin to cover it. I know I never bothered making any after I started living on my own, and the girls would always make them when we started having those parties.”

Sleuth takes a big gulp of his coffee before rubbing his hands together in excitement, looking between everything placed before him. The next hour is filled with laughter, icing and sugar, both of them managing to finish off the whole tray between them, sugar sprinkles scattered all over the table and chairs and even in their hair (they had devolved into acting like 5-year-olds at one point, throwing the sugar at each other in between laughing fits).

The manage to clean up the mess at the table, but they take one look at the counter-tops and resolve to leave that for later, Pickle quickly mentioning they could always make more cookies later, so they would need to keep the stuff out anyways. Sleuth just nods in agreement and leaves the dishes to soak, heading out into the main room after Pickle.

Both of their gazes turn to the bare tree sitting in the corner. Sleuth looks over to see Pickle smiling at him expectantly. Sleuth pats Pickle on the shoulder, nodding sagely.

“Yes, Pickle, its time.”

Pickle exhales loudly, his face contorted into an ecstatic expression. He drags Sleuth over to the two boxes he had retrieved from the apartment building’s shared basement storage yesterday, nudging off the lids to reveal the lights and ornaments. Pickle reverently pulls the horrendously tangled piles of lights out of the box, and Sleuth steps back, leaving him to the task of unraveling it. In true Pickle style, he manages to have it untangled in less than thirty minutes, Sleuth whistling in appreciation.

Sleuth and Pickle manage to to get the lights and ribbons on without much fuss, but they get caught up when putting on the ornaments. They honestly don’t have that many; most of them are Sleuth’s, since he had a tree to fit them all. But here and there they find one that was a special gift, or something they had made as a kid, and they end up sitting there for almost two hours, laughing and reminiscing.

When they’re finally done they plug it in and sit on the couch, admiring their work. It’s a little spoiled by the sunlight still streaming through the windows, but they’re too satisfied to care. Sleuth suggests they go out for a bite to eat, enticing Pickle with the thought of them coming home after dark to see their tree lit up in the window like a multicolored beacon. Pickle agrees, noting they could also see if there were any decorations on sale anywhere while they were out.

It takes them awhile to get ready, or more specifically, it takes Pickle awhile. He had just sprung out of bed without changing out of his pajamas, so he has to change; then they have to bundle up to keep out the wailing cold winds that await them on the city streets. Pickle rushes back in a minute after they leave to check that the stove wasn’t left on, but after that they’re out until past dark, coming back to see the tree in the window like Sleuth said they would.

Sleuth’s juggling some bags when they get to the door, so Pickle takes the keys from him, giving Sleuth a look when he sees Sleuth’s double key on the same ring as the apartment key. Sleuth just shrugs his shoulders and smiles apologetically. Pickle unlocks the door and steps inside, Sleuth following suit before Pickle stops him. Sleuth just looks at him in confusion, and Pickle looks upwards, causing Sleuth to do the same.

Above the door is a haphazardly hanged piece of mistletoe, obviously just put there as Pickle opened the door. Sleuth lets out a laugh, saying “come here you sappy smart-Alec” as he gently drops the bags in favor of grabbing Pickle and kissing him senseless.

Sleuth had to admit, Pickle sure had good reason for being so excited.


End file.
